Broken Seashells
by VesperChan
Summary: Sakura, a believed mute, is adopted into a family from Mist with four brothers waiting to accept her, scars and all.
1. Sakura

**_Broken Seashells_**

-

When she was four years old, they came to take her away.

She remembered the man with the short curly hair smiling down at her as he carried her to a big white van. It had a car seat, ready and waiting for her. She didn't know it then, but that would be the last time she saw the dirty floors and stained walls of her apartment room.

She was too tired when they carried her away to feel frightened, though she did remember wanting to go back and check to see if mommy was following her out.

She wasn't.

That day, mostly spent in slumber, was the end and beginning of what she would come to call her life. An existence that consisted of nothing more than struggling to be nourished couldn't really be counted as a life. An existence maybe, but not a life. Thus, a part of her died that day, letting another rise from the ashes of her short lived past.

"Where's mommy?"

"Don't worry, she can't hurt you anymore."

-

_** 2 years advance...**_

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"Sakura, this is your new family. Do you remember when Mr. Momochi came to visit you?" The small six year old girl slowly shook her head, not being able to distinguish this man out of the many adults that had visited her in the past year and a half. Most left, annoyed by her silence, the majority believing her to be mute.

"Hello, Sakura. I'm here to take you home with me. I'm the man with the four sons. Do you remember?" Once again Sakura shook her head, her pale rose locks falling from behind her ears to hide her face during the action. She made no move to brush them away.

The social services agent frowned at her timid behavior, but Mr. Zabuza Momochi merely nodded in understanding. "I apologize about her anti social behavior. Her foster parents said it was a problem only to a certain point. She's a good kid if you can get past that, Mr. Momochi."

"I understand," Zabuza answered. He held out his hand, offering it to the muted child, who did nothing more than stare at it. Realizing she would not accept his gesture of kindness, he chuckled and withdrew his hand. "Maybe it's a bit too soon for that. Why don't we get you into the car so I can drive you home."

Sakura looked up at the young man with tousled chromatic hair and eyes the color of old, dried wood. Home? His home? He was a foolish man to bother so much over her. Just like her foster parents he would give up on her after the silence drove him mad. Her presence was like that of a ghost's, haunting and unnerving. She wouldn't even try, but she would end up frightening anyone who spent too much time with her.

'_It's like living with a walking corpse, I can't take it anymore. I don't care if her mom's dead, send her back! She's driving me insane...'_

Wordlessly, Sakura climbed into the black of the small back and white striped car, buckling herself in before either of the two men could offer to do it for her. With a shrug towards the other man, Mr. Momochi climbed in the driver's side and started the engine, turning the radio on to an upbeat happy sounding station. Sakura didn't like the song, but made no comment to betray her disinterest.

"I think you'll like it where I live. It's a bit far from the city, closer to the bay. The house is big and there's plenty of places to play outside." He was the first to break the silence, to no surprise. "I don't expect you to like it at first, honestly, I expect you to hate it, but it'll grow on you once you get used to it. Being thrust into a new environment so soon after leaving your foster parents is rough, I would imagine."

Sakura kept her lips together, her eyes fixed on the rapidly changing scenery as her driver sped down the winding road. She imagined he was driving at something far above the speed limit, based on how the automobile roared with life, seeming to eat up the road set down before it. A quick glance to the speedometer confirmed her theory as she watched the orange dial waver between 75 and 80.

Moving her jade colored eyes back to the window, she watched the city dissolve, melting into the country side. Soon they would be closer to Cape Cod's coast. Already she could smell the brine through the cracks in the windows. The smell of the sea. It was a new feeling for her, and she liked it.

"I work in the shipping industry, so I have a house near the ocean with a private beach. It's a five minute walk from door to shore. It's really nice early in the morning after the tide has gone out. The boys love looking for lost treasure out there. They do it all the time. That's probably where we'll find them with Uncle Kisame. He's part of our family too, a bit annoying, but he grows on you."

Before she knew it, they were pulling off the road, turning down a long driveway paved with broken sea shells, most of them a bright white. Sakura was expecting some of the sharper shells to put a hole in one of the tires, but Zabuza drove on, knowing better. Sakura kept her mouth shut, deciding to let the sound of crunching shells continue, though it did a number on her nerves. She felt bad for the pretty shells.

_ 'Sometimes pretty things get hurt because they're pretty. Don't worry, mommy will get better...' _

Coming to a stop in front of the two story beach house, Zabuza cut the engine and stepped out, opening her door for her before she could finish unbuckling her seatbelt. She seemed a bit embarrassed that it took her so long to press down the release button with her small hands, something he couldn't help but snicker at.

"Come along. I would like to introduce you to your new brothers. They're down by the beach," he explained, leaving her suitcase and small travel bag in the trunk for later. "They're a bit rowdy, but good kids deep down." Sakura's head jerked up at the word _rowdy_, causing him to grin. "Don't worry about that, they won't be like that around _you_."

Sakura looked away, fixing her eyes on the sandy path that led down to the beach. He went forward first, knowing she would be following quietly behind. Before long the thin path melted into beach, the sand a white color that shifted easily underfoot. Somehow it seemed like it took less than five minutes to get here.

"Papa, papa, you're home!" someone with a light voice called out in obvious joy. Sakura shifted, hiding the rest of her tiny body behind Zabuza's long legs just as a young boy with long brown hair and eyes of the same color, came running up, a bag of shells cradled in his thin arms. He looked more like a girl than a boy, but Sakura remembered that Zabza had only sons.

"Ah, I see you've been gathering shells again, Haku. You've collected a sizable amount this time," Zabuza answered in a serious tone as two more boys of the same age came running up. A third, taller than the boy by half a foot, was trailing behind with a tall, robust adult at his side.

The first two boys both had light blond hair that appeared more white than anything else. It reminded Sakura of the snow she used to see outside her apartment building in Montana.

She liked the snow.

The one with shorter hair had light blue eyes and a mischievous grin that gave Sakura an unsettling feeling in the depth of her stomach. He appeared to be the younger of the two, since he was three to four inches shorter. The other stood calmly with light green eyes displaying his happiness in place of his words. Part of his longer hair pulled into a red tie that fell over his shoulder.

The one with blue eyes spoke first, his voice high and loud as he complained to his father. "The only reason Haku has the most is because he took mine when I wasn't looking.

"Suigetsu," the calm one replied with slight annoyance, "Just because he took shells from the cove doesn't mean he took from you. That part of the beach doesn't belong to you alone." Haku looked grateful.

"Were you boys fighting over who owns the beach again?" A guilty look from Suigetsu confirmed Zabuza's suspicions. With a sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose, adapting a harder tone as he addressed his children. This must have happened a lot before. "Kimimaro, didn't Kisame say anything when he found out?"

"He told Haku to steal the shells like a ninja." Sakura heard her legal guardian grunt in frustration, earning a worried expression from his only biological son. Haku seemed to be the most eager to please the man that shared his blood. Though, he could very well be the kind of person that is eager to please anyone.

As if following the motions of a well plotted play, the culprit sauntered onto the scene with the last son at his side. He flashed the other adult a toothy smile, his grin like that of a shark's ready to feed. "Just teaching them to be like their father. No need to thank me, I'll just help myself to your cellar."

"Hold on, Kisame." Zabuza's tone harder than before. "I know I've told you I don't want the boys to grow up like me, so you won't be getting your hands on anything to drink down there. However, that is not the most pressing matter at hand. You do remember why I went into town this morning, don't you?"

Kisame sobered up, finally noticing the timid figure that hid herself against the other adult's legs, still hidden from the young boys. "Oh." The tall boy at his side shifted, feeling the loss of playfulness.

Sakura scrunched up her little body, trying to hide from the new adult and the child at his side. This boy, like the others, had bright white hair as well. What set him apart was his tall, well muscled frame that made him appear older that what Sakura knew him to be. If she was right, and he was Jugo, he was only a year and a half older than her. Unlike the rest of his brothers, he remained quiet, seemingly content to be present. Maybe he was quiet like her too.

Before Sakura had the chance to think anything more, the tall legs that served as her shield moved away, exposing her to the eyes of four boys and one adult. Five shocked expressions to take in at once as she was left exposed, without the aid of the protective wall to keep her hidden. He wasn't her friend, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit betrayed by Zabuza.

"Who's she?" Suigetsu asked, pointing to her, manners forgotten once again.

"This is Sakura, from now on she's going to be your sister, a part of this family. I want you guys to take care of her for me. This is her first time being with brothers, so go easy on her, okay?"

"Where did she come from?" Kimimaro asked, referring to her as if she were an object from WalMart.

"She came to us the same way you, Jugo, and Suigetsu did."

"Why here?" Suigetsu asked, blunt and uncaring as ever. Sakura could feel her eyes start to water from embarrassment and fear. She wished the sand would fall away under her feet and swallow her whole.

Sensing her distress, Zabuza quickly answered in a calmer tone, placing a hand on the top of her head. "Because there are four young boys who I know can take care of her and protect her better than anyone else."

"What...what happened to your old family?" Haku asked, being the first to address her as a human being. Fearfully she looked up at her legal guardian and silently pleaded with him to make the questions stop before they started. She still refused to speak out, even with others her own age. She didn't want to verbalize.

"Maybe you had better not talk about that, Haku," Zabuza offered, saving her this one time. "Sakura doesn't talk a lot so I want you to take care of her and not ask too many questions. Can you guys do that for me?" All four of them nodded, Haku being the quickest to respond. The rest were sluggish in their gestures.

"This is her first time here isn't it guys? Why don't you show her around the beach and make her feel at home. We still have a few hours before your dad calls you in for dinner," Kisame offered, patting Jugo's head. There was an unseen command between the two adults before Kisame left with Zabuza, his stride longer than Sakura originally thought possible.

Now alone, Sakura flickered her gaze from face to face, trying to figure out who would tease her the most and who would tolerate her the longest. Who would be the least likely to hit her... Her right hand was wrapped around her left wrist, squeezing it tighter and tighter as she found it harder and harder to breath.

"I'm Kimimaro, that's Haku and Jugo and this guy is Suigetsu. It's nice to meet you. Would you like to play with us by the cove or by the tide line? We were collecting seashells, to see who could get the most. Haku usually wins, but it's fun to see what you can find in the sand."

Loosing the grip on her wrist, she numbly nodded, deciding it best to go along with whatever they wanted to do. Saying no would make it awkward, and Suigetsu might get angry. He seemed irritated by her presence as it was. She had no wish to further his dislike for her.

Haku smiled as his brothers ran off ahead of him, choosing to hang back with his new sibling. He seemed determined to follow the commands of his father wholeheartedly. "You don't have to be scared of them. Suigetsu wouldn't do anything bad. He may seem mean but he can be really nice sometimes." He looked down at the bundle of shells in his hands and smiled. "Would you like one of my shells? I have lots in the garage and hidden in the boat. I think girls like shells, so if you want one you can take it."

Sakura saw a long gray shell with a rugged top stand out among the rest. Curiosity getting the best of her, she gently grasped the object with her small hands and brought it closer for inspection. Her green orbs widened in surprise at the glimmering surface that was hidden on the inside.

Haku chuckled at her reaction, his tone sounding much like his dad's. "It's pretty isn't it. It's really ugly on the outside but the inside is shiny making it beautiful. My mom used to have a locket made out of it. My dad wears it all the time though. She said this shell hides beauty that only good people who look past the ugly surface are able to see. She said that's kind of like how humans are."

_ 'I'm grateful you're not beautiful. That way, only someone that truly cares for you will be able to appreciate you.'_

Her grip around the shell tightened unconsciously. "Ahhh."

"Haku, you're too slow,! Hurry up or else we're going to take all your shells!" Suigetsu called, somewhere off in the distance. Gasping in surprise and slight fear, the brown eyed boy ran off, fearful for his treasures, leaving Sakura to study the details of her shell by herself.

She was thankful to be left alone after being smothered by so many different presences this particular day. She felt like someone was choking her slowly, waiting until she popped like a balloon under the pressure. That's how everyone was, a choking presence.

"Sakura, are you coming? There are really pretty shells over here if you want." Sakura looked up at the sound of Haku's voice. He was standing next to Kimimaro, both boys staring down at her, waiting for her to join them. She doubted they were aware of the choking effect their presences had on her.

Knowing they would come after her if she refused to join their sides, she approached the pair with downcast eyes, tightly clutching her gray shell. The older boy named Jugo was now closest to Sakura as she took care to avoid Suigetsu, who was now hanging off Haku's shoulder. Suigetsu appeared to be badgering him about something found in the sand. Jugo looked at her shyly and opened his mouth to say something, but only a muted grunt made it past his lips before he turned away and left her in what appeared to be embarrassment. It was as if he couldn't bring himself to say whatever it was he wanted to say.

"Jugo has a speech impediment." Sakura quickly turned, her arms coming up to her chest protectively at the unexpected sound of Kimimaro's calm voice. Was he a ninja or something? She didn't even hear him come up from behind. "He can't speak properly, so he chooses to remain silent most of the time. He's probably embarrassed about letting you hear his voice. It took over a week for him to feel comfortable enough to talk in front of the rest of us, so don't feel bad about it."

Not knowing how else to reply, Sakura nodded slowly and edged herself away from the green eyed boy who made an effort to speak to her. Maybe he didn't feel the haunting atmosphere she gave off in the same way Mrs. Yamanaka felt it. Or maybe he was just hiding his discomfort from her. That had to be it. He was like the social service agents, masking their discomfort and frustration. That was fine, he could act however he wanted. It was a free country wasn't it?

Feeling exceptionally bitter towards her so called _family_,the slender girl made her way over to the lapping waters to search for a shell of her own. Possibly one like the one she had from Haku, that way she could return his. For all she knew, he could have given it to her as bribery. Maybe it was to get her to like them, similar to the pretty red shoes Mr. Yamanaka gave her when he first met her in an attempt of graft.

Large white birds that squawked, circled over head in the sky, waiting for tourists to drop french fries and pretzel bits for them to feed off of. Sakura remembered Mr. Momochi calling the seagulls. Their cries were different from the chirping and hacking of crows and blue jays she was used to hearing outside her window. The sound of the seagulls seemed to fit the beach, completing it.

Bending low, Sakura rummaged through the retreating waters to pick up a broken shell that was stuck in the sand. Like the others in the driveway, it was a bright white, jagged and broken on one side. Putting her gray shell in the pocket of her red dress, she shifted the broken shell into her other hand,only to drop it quickly as if burned. During the transition the broken side had cut into her palm, drawing blood. Frightened at the sight of red, she dropped the shell and plunged her hand into the water, only to pull back with a hiss of pain. "Don't do that, the salt from the ocean will only agitate the wound. You need this," someone stated, pouring clean water over her cut, cleaning it out. It was Suigetsu. Why would _he_ be helping her?

"Put this on it to keep the sand out. We don't want this getting infected," Kimimaro murmured softly, producing a bandage to wrap around her hand as Jugo and Haku came running up, both worried looking.

"Sakura, did you hurt yourself on one of the shells?" Haku asked with concern, seeing the bandage on her hand, red seeping out from underneath. Not waiting for her to nod in reply, he grabbed her uninjured hand and began to drag her towards the house. "We have to tell papa before you die of blood loss!"

Sakura knew she wouldn't die of blood loss over something like this, but the others, being only children themselves, seemed convinced she would die if not transported properly. Kimimaro was probably the only one who knew she was fine, though he said nothing as he quietly trailed behind his brothers. But Haku had Jugo and Suigetsu convinced she was going to die in the next twelve minutes if she didn't get to the house.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice how she was failing to keep up with the active sons and their rapid pace. Fearful for her safety, Jugo picked her up and swung her light body onto his back to carry her home. He really did look like he cared about her. But he didn't know anything about her, so why?

Her voice cracked, struggling to make it past her throat. "Why?"

None seemed surprised to hear her speak."You're our younger sister, and papa told us to protect you."

Suigetsu and Kimimaro merely nodded as they trudged up the hill on either side of her. They seemed to agree just as strongly as Haku. Jugo stuttered, trying to form words that she could understand. "We...family."

_'We're family.' _

Maybe this time would be different, she thought, hugging her brother tighter as they raced up the hill towards the house.

"Thank you."

-

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AU/ This is something I wrote for a fan fiction contest at the library this month. There were a lot of good entries so I don't know if mine will get picked or not, but I had fun writing this, especially since Sakura's with my favorite characters. Something about this Mizu boys just gets to me.

This was originally meant to be a one-shot, but each brother will have his own little drabble like chapter after this. I might add one for Zabuza and Kisame in at the end and then finish it off with one for Sakura, but then again, I might not. There's a lot I'd like explain about these boys and how they came under Zabuza's care. And then there's Sakura and her mother. I don't know if it was obvious enough, but I think you can get the picture of what was going on with her. Also, I wanted to explain a bit more about what Zabuza does in the shipping industry. coughpiratecough. So expect more from these guys as little Sakura grows up into a woman. Beware the overprotectiveness.

Please _**REVIEW!  
**_

Vesper chan


	2. Juugo

**_Broken Seashells_**

**Juugo**

-

When I was three years old, I was pulled off the streets. I had only been living out on the sidewalk for a few days when the police came to pick me up. I told them I was waiting for my mother. She said she was coming to get me after she was done with work.

That was three days ago.

Mommy worked at a place with bright red lights and laughing people that didn't like seeing me around. I used to hide in the little, rust covered car whenever she went to work, but after she had to sell it she started leaving me outside in the cold, waiting on the park benches and the sidwalks. Sometimes for days on end. So when she didn't come to pick me up instantly, I wasn't worried.

But, when the police men came to get me I started to get worried. Mommy always told me to stay away from the people that were called police, because they were bad. But they told me they were good guys and gave me doughnuts and milk to eat, saying they only wanted to look out for people like me. I think I liked them. The powdered doughnuts were really good after three days without anything to eat aside from a stale pretzel the man in the park gave me.

They looked for my mommy, but couldn't find her, so they put me in a place called a foster home with a new mommy and my first ever daddy. I've never had a dad before so I was really excited to have one. He was really handsome, I think. That's what everyone else said, so I think it was true. My new mommy looked like my old mommy with the light blond hair and paint on her face, but she had dark brown eyes insteed of the light blue eyes my first mommy had. I liked my first mommy more.

They said they were happy to have me in their family, and as easy as that, I believed their lie.

I was taken into this foster family for some time before I started to notice the differences between me and the other kids. They were all so small and could talk so much faster than I could. How could they do that when they were the same age as me? Wasn't that something you were suppose to learn later on? How come I couldn't talk fast like that, and how come they were all so short? The could talk fast, but none of them could run really fast like I could.

This made me happy.

My foster parents started to get grumpy when I was older and still talking like a three year old, despite my overwhelming height. I was only five years of age when people mistook me for being nine and ten. Mommy always complained about having to go out and buy new things for me. She started buying extra big things for me, making me wear them until I grew too big for them. I didn't like walking in too big shoes for so long, but she told be not to complain, so I didn't.

At school people would run away from me on the playground, calling me a monster and screaming like they were in danger or something. I once made another boy cry by asking him where he got his crayons. The teacher sent me home with a note that made mommy and daddy mad. They fought that night. I can still remember their screams and curses, on the other side of my cheep, white paint door.

They started to fight a lot after that. Later in the year they sent me to the orphanage, and divorced each other. They said the only reason they wanted me was to preserve their marriage, and since it wasn't working, I was no longer needed. So they sent me away and split like the selfish people I think they were. I hope something good happens to them to make them better people like my new family.

At the orphanage all of the other kids were scared of me just like before. The adults said it would be hard to get a new family to take me in because I was so big. Families only liked little kids. And then there was the fact that I had a hard time speaking. I think they called it a speech impediment.

To make me look better, one of the girls dyed my orange hair bleach white. She said it made me look better, since only delinquents had orange hair. Delinquents are bad kids who fight a lot. I was still only six, but the chances of being adopted were so small that it was hard to hope.

So I didn't.

It was really hard for me to wake up in the morning. I didn't see a reason to get out of bed. I remember wanting to sleep forever, to stay in bed where people couldn't be afraid of me, or call me a freak, or run away in fear. That's how it was until I met the boy with light green eyes named Kimimaro.

He was the only one who was brave enough to stand up to me and patience enough to wait for me to form the words in my head. He came from another troubled family that had something to do with gangs and fighting, so he was used to big and intimidating. To him, my height wasn't frightening, in face, I think it made him feel at ease. Maybe a familiar feeling? I was happy to have a friend who wasn't afraid of me. When the other kids ran away, I always felt bad.

Kimimaro told me about a man who had come to visit him with a son that was three years younger than him and two years younger than me. I was six so that would make him four. Kimimaro was seven. I was still taller of course, but that didn't matter to either of us. Kimimaro was a lot more mature than me and he was super smart. He's the smartest person I know and he is also really good at fighting.

Anyway, the man that came to visit Kimimaro with his son was named Zabuza and his son's name was Haku. He came back to visit us once again and I got to see him in person. The other adults said he was very wealthy (that means rich)and the lady workers all said he was very handsome and for some odd reason they called him hot. He was wearing a jacket suite, but he didn't look like he was hot or uncomfortable.

Maybe they know something I don't.

His son was very shy and looked like a girl the first time I saw him. He had long hair for a boy and was wearing a light yellow pants and shirt set. He didn't look like a boy very well. I asked him if he was upset that people thought he was a girl sometimes but he didn't reply. He just kept staring at me, with those really bog brown eyes that remind me of a puppy dog. Then he tried to crawl up my legs and touch my hair. I sat down on the ground so that he could reach.

The next day Kimimaro and I were riding in Zabuza's car, heading towards his house by the ocean. It took a few hours since we lived in New York, but it was fun to ride in the car with Haku and Kimimaro. We played games together and ate fruit roll ups. I liked the red kind. I can't remember if it was cherry flavored or strawberry flavored, but I think it's one of the two.

When we got to his house, Zabuza introduced us to his business partner. His name was Kisame and he was really tall and he looked really strong. I wondered if I would look like him when I grew up. He had a scary grin but he liked to laugh a lot and buy us snacks that made out teeth rot, so I like him. He once took us out on a sailboat he owns and let us jump off an go swimming. Haku had to wear floaters.

Kimimaro and Haku became my brothers and they took care of me. Even though I looked liked the oldest an they still took care of me like I was the baby of the group. Haku was two years younger than me and the technical baby of the group, but he was able to talk fast and do things with confidence that I couldn't.

They were always taking care of me and it made me happy.

A year later when I was seven, another addition to our family was added. Suigetsu was always scowling and looked like he sucked on too much lemon tarts and was trying to hide it. Zabuza told us he came from a troubled family in New Jersey and needed time to open up. When he saw me he didn't think I was a monster. He though I wanted to fight and was ready to let his fists go at the drop of a hat.

After a while, he began to open up to us and in no time at all he was another perfect brother. He had the most fun when we played games. He always wanted to win and would always try his hardest to be first. I let him beat me in a few races, knowing he would be mad at me and grumpy the entire day if he didn't win. I liked playing with him, he always had the funniest jokes to tell and was always the first one to try something new.

He was the brave one.

Another year went by and Haku turned five. After his birthday party, it became obvious to Zabuza that something called the _feminine touch_ was missing in our house. Kimimaro said that Zabuza meant there needed to be girls in our house. Suigetsu said it was because we wrestle and burped too much and didn't clean up our messes. A maid cam in every week, so I didn't see how we needed a girl to clean up for us.

I asked Haku if he thought Zabuza was going to get a mommy for us and Haku frowned, sad all of a sudden.

His mother, before she died, wanted to own an orphanage filled with children that needed love and care other adults couldn't provide. When Haku was four, she died in a car accident leaving Zabuza really sad. For a long time his papa stopped eating and got sick. Kisame helped his friend get better again and gave him the idea to carry on his wife's dream in her steed. That's why we're all here today. Thanks to Haku's mommy. She seemed like a really good person.

I wish I could have met her.

One day Kisame came home with a surprise fro Zabuza. It was a photo we weren't allowed to see. Zabuza then got on the phone and looked up some stuff on the computer. He and Kisame talked a lot in the privet study room we're not allowed to go in. They both seemed really excited about something and all of us brothers were annoyed that we were left out of the surprise.

Suigetsu was annoyed the most out of all of us.

Zabuza left that week and Kisame took us all out for a boat ride for some man to man talk. He read us a story about knights from medieval Europe and how they would slay evil, fire breathing dragons and rescue people. Kisame said they were protectors of the weak and defenseless and that they were really good guys that were liked by the king. The knights reminded me of my brothers and how they take care of me.

I wished I could be more like them and take care of someone.

Our Uncle Kisame then told us about how the knights protected the ladies of the court, and how we would have the opportunity to do the same. We would have to be knights, he said, and we would have to take care of someone. I wanted to do this. I wanted to protect someone. After that we went home and slept out on the couch watching baseball.

The Yankees were winning when I fell asleep.

-

Who's she?" Suigetsu asked, pointing to her, manners forgotten once again.

"This is Sakura, from now on she's going to be your sister, a part of this family. I want you guys to take care of her for me. This is her first time being with brothers, so go easy on her, okay?"

"Where did she come from?" Kimimaro asked, referring to her as if she were an object from WalMart.

"She came to us the same way you, Jugo, and Suigetsu did." Zabuza explained pushing the tiny little doll forward.

She was going to be our new, and only, sister. She was really small compared to me, being the smallest out of everyone.

"Why here?" Suigetsu asked, blunt and uncaring as ever. She looked like she was going to cry.

I didn't want her to cry.

Sensing her distress, Zabuza quickly answered in a calmer tone, placing a hand on the top of her head. "Because there are four young boys who I know can take care of her and protect her better than anyone else."

The first time I saw her, I though she was a doll you see in a store's window, she was that cute. She looked really scared and her eyes looked like they were about to spill tears. I didn't want her to cry, but I wasn't very confident with my speech so I left all the talking up to Haku.

"What...what happened to your old family?" Haku asked, being the first to address her as a human being. Fearfully she looked up at her legal guardian and silently pleaded with him to make the questions stop before they started. She still refused to speak out, even with others her own age. It looked like she didn't want to verbalize at all.

Sort of like me.

"Maybe you had better not talk about that, Haku," Zabuza offered, saving her this one time. "Sakura doesn't talk a lot so I want you to take care of her and not ask too many questions. Can you guys do that for me?" We all nodded, Haku being the quickest to respond.

"This is her first time here isn't it guys? Why don't you show her around the beach and make her feel at home. We still have a few hours before your dad calls you in for dinner," Kisame offered, patting my head. The story about the knights came back to my memory and I felt like I wanted to protect her all the more. But, I was kind of afraid of breaking her by speaking to her, or by scaring her like all the other kids.

"I'm Kimimaro, that's Haku and Jugo and this guy is Suigetsu. It's nice to meet you. Would you like to play with us by the cove or by the tide line? We were collecting seashells, to see who could get the most. Haku usually wins, but it's fun to see what you can find in the sand."

She numbly nodded following behind at a much slower pace. Haku talked to her and gave her one of his shells. She seemed to be weary of Suigetsu, but I don't think she was in any danger of crying anymore. She followed with a shiny gray shell in hand, falling into steep alongside me. Standing next to me, she really did seem like a doll.

I wanted to say something and opened my mouth to do so, but felt my chest constrict in fear. It took almost a year for me to feel comfortable speaking with my brothers and the fear was coming back. I wanted to say something like, '_you're cute_', or '_I'm glad you're my sister'_ but, I knew it would come out sounding like '_cute_', or '_glad siste__r_'. Too afraid I turned away, red in the face.

I walked away, looking at the sand for a while thinking about what I didn't say when I head a hiss of pain.

"Don't do that, the salt from the ocean will only agitate the wound. You need this." I turned around to see my moody brother pouring water from his water bottle, (he worships that thing and never let's any of us near it), over Sakura's red hand. She was bleeding?!

Kimimaro came over and gave her a bandage and helped her wrap it up. I trailed close behind.

Sakura, did you hurt yourself on one of the shells?" Haku asked with concern, seeing the bandage on her hand, red seeping out from underneath. Not waiting for her to nod in reply, he grabbed her uninjured hand and began to drag her towards the house. "We have to tell papa before you die of blood loss!"

Frightened at the thought of loosing my brand new and only sister, I followed closely behind, making sure to stay close to Sakura. She was so much smaller than any of us she started to lag under Haku's pull. Maybe at this pace we wouldn't get to the house in time? What if she didn't make it? What if I failed at protecting my sister?

Filled with fear, I picked up the weightless doll and hoisted her onto my back, surprising her.

Her voice cracked, struggling to make it past her throat. "Why?"

_'Because I want to protect my younger sister.'_

None of us seemed surprised to hear her speak."You're our younger sister, and papa told us to protect you."

Suigetsu and Kimimaro merely nodded as they trudged up the hill on either side of her. They seemed to agree just as strongly as Haku. Feeling empower by my brother's words I stuttered, trying to form words that she could understand. "We...family."

_'We're family.'_

When Zabuza looked over her cut he smiled and said she would be fine, letting us all heave a sigh of relief.

That night, the five of us camped out in the living room with sleeping bags and home made smore's to celebrate Sakura's homecoming. It was really funny to watch Sakura stare in awe as the marshmallows in the microwave expanded to twice it's size before being sandwiched between chocolate and gram-crackers. Suigetsu, being the trouble lover he is, left his marshmallow in the microwave too long and made it explode. That was on purpose. When Sakura saw that her brother was without a marshmallow, she gave him some of hers.

I was tempted to blow mine up as well.

I have a stuffed teddy bear with a pink nose and a really fuzzy tommy that I like to sleep with, even though Suigetsu says I should be too old for stuffed animals. None of my brothers sleep with stuffed animals, so I hide him a lot. When it was time to crawl into out sleeping bags (after the four of us fought over who would sleep next to Sakura) she caught sight of my bear and pointed to him before pulling out a snow white bunny with pink ears too long for its body. Her bunny was missing and eye and it looked like it was just washed after years of staying in the dirt.

"...Shiro...," she whispered, holding up her bunny.

"...Thomas...," I replied, pointing to my bear.

Haku and I were the lucky ones that got to sleep on her left and right that night.

After that Sakura and I talked a lot. We both had trouble speaking without voices, so we used our Nintendo DS consoles to talk to each other. I was really good at reading and Sakura liked to write a lot, so it was something we did a whole lot. I think Haku and the rest of my brothers were a bit jealous of all the time we spend together talking. This made me feel proud.

Sakura became the pride of our entire family as we lovingly doted on her every whim and need. Zabuza spoils all of us out of love, but when it came to Sakura, nothing was too much for her. Even Uncle Kisame, who was known for blowing wads of cash on us boys, took his spending up a notch. None of us guys minded it. Seeing Sakura's smiling face whenever she receives a new doll or dress is more of a gift for us than it is for her.

Three weeks later, sakura went to school with us. I was put in a special class, so I didn't see her very much, but Haku and Suigetsu were both in the same class as Sakura, so I didn't worry very much. But, I did worry...a lot of the time. I didn't like being separated from my younger sister. I wanted to be there to protect her _all_ the time.

One day Haku and Suigetsu both got sick from the cold and had to stay home to rest. So, naturally they weren't at school with Sakura. It was on that day that I saw her getting bullied behind the tire swing on the playground. A girl and two boys were making fun of her forehead, calling her a freak. I got angry remembering how sensitive she was about it. They were going to make my little sister cry and I wasn't about to stand for it.

It was the first time I was happy to see kids run away in fear after seeing me.

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AU/ This is something I wrote for a fan fiction contest at the library. I had tons of fun writing this, especially since Sakura's with my favorite characters. Something about this Mizu boys just gets to me.

Juugo's story. I really love this guy too much, even more so when he doesn't know what _hot_ means. Sad but true.

Please _**REVIEW!  
**_

Vesper chan


	3. Suigetsu

**_Broken Seashells_**

**Suigetsu**

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I grew up in the slums of the big apple. Brooklyn New York at it's finest, baby. My dad was never there, and my pure blood Finnish mother never had her head in the right place whenever she was there. So that's how it was for me growing up. Sounds fun right?

I hung out with the rest of the kids from the streets and played with the bums, coming home in time to watch the men pool into the apartment and drink beer and smoke cigarettes. They would always boss my mom and the other girls around like they were nothing. And what really irritated me was the all the ladies that were getting bossed around wouldn't even talk back to the men.

Girls are stupid, I think. I don't like them.

Of course, growing up in this kind of environment, I didn't go to school, but that doesn't mean I wasn't educated. The truth was actually far from it. I could pick-pocket better than anyone I knew and I could swim and run like _greased lightning_, (whatever the heck that was). I knew all the allyways and a lot of underground tunnels that helped me escape from getting caught by adults. I could hot-wire a car, fake tears with a sob story, and topple anyone my size with a good right hook.

Fighting with the other boys was always really fun. Some of the older ones used to say I acted like my brother when he was my age. I wouldn't know since he died a long time ago in a gun fight. I think he was thirteen at the time. That's when mom started getting into her drugs. Guns are for cowards. I take all my enemies down with fist one and two....or was it three and one...I forget.

But, anyway, I was one of the top dogs when it came to the boys my age. No one could beat me and the other guys at least respected me for that. Sometimes when the men came to hang out in our apartment they would let me try their cigarets. I hated them but I tried them all the same, to prove to them that I was a _**real**_ man. I _think_ they respected me for trying. When they laughed at me they wouldn't yell at my mom. That made me happy. I liked the feeling of protecting someone. My mom needed a lot of protecting.

There was a lot of bad, illegal stuff going on around me, most of the time involving me, but the boys in blue never seemed to wise up and knock on our doors. I heard that some of the men bribed their cop friends not to get involved with their underground dealings. So, I guess you could say life was flowing fine for me.

But I wasn't happy.

Then the day came when the boys in blue broke up the party for good. No more crappy apartment to come home to. No more home at all. Bribes were no good against something this big. Apparently there had been a huge killing at the Uchihas and some of the guys that hung out at our house were suspects.

Somehow that tracked down my mom's sister in New Jersy and dumped me with her.

She had a boyfriend that wanted me to call him dad, even though he and my aunt wern't planning on getting married anytime soon. I told him I didn't have a dad and he wasn't anything like the dad I wanted and shouted some other bad words I picked up from the adults. He hit me with his belt...a lot.

I hated him.

Sometimes he would come home with my aunt Karin and try to get me to do weird things, like try a new drink or suck bad smoke. I always said no, not liking how it made them act funny. One night, he came back really, really dizzy and tried to force me to do it with a weird cigaret. I didn't want to so I cursed at him and spit at him in the face before running out the window and down the fire escape where he couldn't chase me. When he tried to I saw him run into the wall.

He was a huge idiot.

I hung out with the bums for a few weeks before going back to find them both passed out on the couch. The air smelled funny and I didn't like they way it made my stomach hop and squeeze. I tried asking my Aunt Karin what was making the smell but she wouldn't wake up. The same was for her boyfriend. Neither of them were moving. I tried to look and see if they were breathing, but only my red haired aunt was still making little breaths. Her boyfriend wasn't, but maybe that was because they were so small I couldn't find them. It _did_ take me a long time before I could hear Aunt Karin breathing at first.

I got scared and ran down to the neighbors that I liked. They were an old couple that were always really nice to me even though my Aunt Karin said they were high and mighty smart buts. (Sakura gets sad when I curse now, so I don't).

They didn't like my aunt or her boyfriend, but they liked me and gave me cookies and treats whenever I came to visit them. I think they knew something about how that guy would hurt me, since they were the ones that put cream on my welts.

I told them about my Aunt Karin and her boyfriend. They called more of the police that scared me and they took my Aunt to the hospital and her boyfriend somewhere else, since he had died from a drug overdosage. My aunt was only in a coma, but it didn't look like she would be waking up any time soon. The bad smell was her boyfriend's body breaking down and decaying, I heard from one of the police men.

I was happy he was gone. He wouldn't be able to yell at me or curse or hurt me anymore. That was a good feeling.

The old couple that I liked took care of me for a few days before a man named Zabuza came to take me away. Apparently they were old friends of this guy. Kind of like adoptive parents to him I think. The old gramps and this Zabuza used to work in the shipping business a long time ago before old age forced the older of the two to the man that was going to adopt me was extremely well off. (That means filthy stinking rich!)

He already had one son by birth and two other adopted boys. I didn't like the tall one at first. He looked like a bully. I learned later on, that he had a speech problem and was actually a huge scardy cat that slept with stuffed animals! Ha! Haku was too girly and nice to have any fun with and Kimimaro was a know it all that liked annoying me all the time. I know he enjoys it, I just do!

Regardless we were a pretty tight family. But we became even tighter when Sakura came to us.

She was always so shy and quiet, only talking with single words at a time. I told my brothers I found it annoying, because that's what annoys **_real_** men, but I couldn't help but feel the urge and need to protect her. Maybe sometimes, quite possibly in the back of mind, I may think her... cutewhenshesmiles!

But it's not fair how much time she spends indoors playing with Juugo on those stupid DS things. And then Haku is always playing dolls with her and Kimimaro likes to teach her how to play the piano. She almost never has time to play with me outside! It's so unfair how all my brothers monopolize her all the time. I want to play with her too!

She's kind of (_really_) slow and awkward when running, but she really likes chasing me on the beach. So, to make her feel better, I let her catch me sometimes. If it's a really sandy spot, I'll grab her and tumble her into the sand dunes. And no, it's not just an excuse so that I can hug her. That's a stupid idea and it would never be true because I don't like girls and I think they still have cooties.

Soon summer break was over and we had to go to back to school and learn a bunch of useless stuff. I was older than Sakura and was meant to be in the grade above her, but because I had never gone to school before, aside from the home tutoring, I was pulled back a grade.

I was kind of thankfully to be stuck in the same class as my sister. She was really smart and learned fast. If I asked nicely she would give me help. I ended up getting a lot of help from her. Haku was too smart (stupid) to have to ask Sakura for help, but sometimes I think he was tempted to fail just to get close to the youngest of his siblings.

"Will you help me with this paper Sakura? I don't know what to write for my sentences."

She didn't say anything back, but eagerly nodded, pulling out her own homework (completed of course) to help me with mine. She pulled out a sparkly pink pencil with Hello Kitty dancing around with My Melody and a brown one with Digimon characters. I took the Digimon one with a smile.

"I need to write a sentence with the words _**Tranquil**_ and _**Amber**_. What does **Tranquil** mean?"

"It means peaceful. Like how the ocean is when there aren't any waves or wind."

Her voice was soft and small, never very loud. She's always been like that ever since she came to us when she was six. I don't think I've ever heard her scream or shout loudly. When she screams it's like a small mouse squeak. I have only heard her scream once, and that was when we surprised her with a surprised party on her Birthday in spring.

"How can I use that in a sentence with _Amber?_ That's a color, right?"

"It's a honey yellow color."

Sakura knew so much more than me, even though I was almost a year older than her. "You're so smart and helpful, Sakura. I'm glad you're able to help me!"

My little sister smiled proudly, enjoying the complement, blushing slightly. Everyone told her she was smart, but I told her I was smart _and_ helpful. So, I was complementing her more than the other people.

"What are you going to do for your sentences?" she asked.

"I don't know. What did you do?"

She looked down at her paper and pointed to the sentence she had written down. "**_An Amber shine grows across the tranquil waters of my ocean in the backyard_**."

"That's so like you Sakura. You're so good at this," I huffed, a bit depressed. I would never be as good as my sister when it came to writing.

She shook her head and smiled brilliantly at me, making my heart squeeze tight. "You can do it, I'll help you get started. What is tranquil to you?"

"Kimimaro."

"...Okay. How can we relate Kimamaro to the color amber?"

I think this over for a moment before replying. "Maybe he likes the color amber?"

"That's a good idea, write it down."

I messilly scratch out my brother's name and the selected word before adding a few others to make a sentence. Once finished, I beamed with pride showing it to Sakura. "Here, I'm done look it over and tell me if it's right!"

She took it and read it over in her head, smiling. "Its good, but you shouldn't call Kimimaro stupid. The teacher might get upset."

"Will you help me with the next one?"

"Sure."

Sakura's handwriting was neat and flourished, often slipping into cursive like styles. Mine kind of looked like chicken scratch. I kicked Haku after he told me that, even if didn't mean it as an insult. Sakura told me my hand writing would get better the more I write. That must be why dad's handwriting is so good. He has to write a lot of stuff for work for different people. Uncle Kisame doesn't write a lot, though, and his handwriting is still better than mine. Maybe that's because he's so old. (Don't let him know I thought that!)

Sakura likes to write a lot. She writes more than she talks I think. I'm happy she talks to me at all, though. The first week she lived with us, I think she said a whole thirteen words in all. I can't go an hour without saying more than thrice that number. Many believed her to be a mute before she came here, Haku told me when I asked him about it. I wonder what it was life for her to be so silent for such a long time...

I was almost done with my homework paper when I got to a word I didn't recognize. Our teacher went over all of these words in class yesterday, but I hardly ever payed attention to what she was saying so of course I didn't remember most of it. I didn't want to go and look it up in a dictionary so I decided to ask my sister about it.

I tugged on Sakura's sleeve. "What's this word mean, Sakura?"

"What is it?"

"Sc-rum-ptious..." I wrinkled my nose at the funny sounding word.

She read over the word on her own paper and smiled. "It's Scrumptious and it means tasty. Like the German pankackes daddy makes us on Christmas!"

"I like the doughnuts you made us for class last week. I wish you didn't have to take them in and share them with everybody. They were so good I could have eaten them all, by myself."

"Then I'll make you some more next week."

"I like the ones with powered sugar on them! Will you make more of those for me?" I almost drooled at the thought of her famous homemade doughnuts. They looked weird at first because the batter was uneven in parts but they were really tasty.

She nodded and I couldn't help but smile and cheer a little. It was even better to eat something sweet knowing Sakura made them. Lately, my sister has been spending a lot of time in the kitchen, experimenting with sever different recipes for sweets. She tried cooking regular meals like for dinner a few times, but didn't like it as much as baking. This was robally because she had to sample everything she made before giving it to us. She called it quality control.

Dad would have to help her with the measuring sometimes if she wanted to double or half a certain recipe. She didn't really like math that much, and I don't blame her for it. It's boring and useless as far as I can tell. Still, she's better at it than me so I go to her for tutoring in that field as well.

The only downside to this is that Haku is just as bad at math as me and will often joins our little sessions. Sometimes Kimimaro will help all three of us with math since he's so much better at it than all of us combined. He is a grade above us, after all. I sometimes wish I could be smart like that so Sakura would have to look up to me for help. I wish I could help her and not have to be the one always needing help.

Just like she promised, Sakura made another batch of doughnuts for me...and the rest of our brothers. But at least she didn't share them with the entire class like she had to last time.

There were two boys and a girl that had told her that her doughnuts weren't very good and that they didn't like getting fat on things that aren't tasty. That was also the time I had gotten in trouble for beating Zaku up behind the tire-swing on the playground. At least he was man enough to lie and say we were just play wrestling to keep both of us out of trouble.

Next time I'm giving him and his friends _two_ black eyes instead of one.

I know that Kin girl is just jealous of Sakura because she has Haku for a brother is so much more prettier that the brown eyed girl will ever be. I think she likes Haku, since she's always following him around and smiling at him and lending him her crayons. She even asked to be partners with him when we had to do a book report on The Giving Tree. She knew Haku and Sakura were close, being brother and sister, and got angry at that.

Dosu was just plain mean. He was sort of the leader of the pack and the biggest bully in the whole school. He didn't even have a reason for tormenting Sakura and when asked why he would make fun of her and saw those mean things, he would just reply with a 'I don't need a reason to make fun of you' sort of reply. He was really annoying, especially since he was _sometimes_ stronger than me. Of course I'm stronger than him most of the time, duh.

And last but not least, there's Zaku Abumi, my most hated arch nemesis...sist... however you say it. I hate him the most since he has the worst reason for picking on Sakura. He actually has a crush on her! It's so stupid! If you have a crush on someone you don't beat them up and fight with them! The only time you can do that and get away with it is if you are Mr. Darcy and have a big house in Pemberly. Otherwise, nothing is going to work for you. This is why I fight with him the most. He's the worst, having a crush on **_my_** sister and picking in her at the same time. How dare he even look at her! I hate that type of guy.

Needless to say, once I got Kimimaro and Juugo involved, the bullying around Sakura magically stopped. Later I heard Dosu and Kin moved away while Zaku was transferred to a different class in the same grade for some reason. We still saw him on the playground but he never bothered us ever again.

For Christmas that year, Dad made German pancakes again and Sakura made apple fritters. They were really unhealthy and super tasty. We all got lots of presents and Uncle Kisame was there with his share of gifts for us as well. We all had fun playing in the mountain of wrapping paper that had been stacked into a huge pile. Even if Kimimaro claimed to have been too old to play such silly games, he wouldn't say no when Sakura asked him.

"All of you are so immature," my oder brother huffed with a bright red bow stuck to his hair.

"You look cute, Kimmy!" Sakura laughed, sticking another green one to his hair.

"Hmm," was all he said, trying to hide his smile and retain his cool older brother vibe.

Juugo and Haku laughed with me as we watched from the pile of colorful wrapping paper.

"Alright kiddies,that's it for our gifts. Now, it's time to exchange presents among yourselves," Dad called from the kitchen, sitting with his mug of warm coffee, complete with bobbing mini marshmallows from Sakura. Kisame stood behind him leaning against the counter with his own coffee.

Every year around Christmas, dad would give us one hundred dollars each and we would have to buy presents for each other. I always got my brothers Nerf guns and Haku would give us all something like a snow-globe or a ceramic figurine; something pretty to put on a shelf. Kimimaro got us practical gifts like books and writing stuff. (Sakura and Juugo are the only ones that like the books from him.) Juugo would get us all different things. Sometimes they were action figures and sometimes it was manga books and anime movies we wanted to see.

I liked presents from Sakura the best, because they were always interesting. This year she got us all Native American jewelry from the Hopi tribe that was selling their goods outside the Grand Canyon in Arizona. For me she got a necklace on a brown leather cord with a silver bear charm at the end. There was a pretty red jewel in the bear's stomach that made it look fierce to me.

"The Hopi looked up to the bear as a symbol of power," she explained as I opened my gift. "They also looked up to them in respect for the protective strength their mother's had for their cubs. Nothing was scarier than a mother defending her cubs. This made me think of you and how you always protect me."

Haku's was of a turtle representing, healing, knowledge, and long life, with it's large turquoise stone sitting as its shell. Haku loved turtles, ever since he saw Finding Nemo with the rest of us so he really liked it. For Juugo she got a deer with an amber brown stone, representing Love, gentleness, kindness, and sensitivity. I could see how she could attribute that to Juugo the gentle giant. And lastly for Kimimaro she got a Silver wolf with a purple stone set in the middle that stood for teaching skill, Loyalty, Interdependence and of course, wisdom. A fitting gift for a math tutor.

Even though she didn't have to, she got one for Uncle Kisame and dad. Uncle got a Shark pendant and Dad got a beaver.

"Why a beaver?" I asked, not seeing how my cool and awesomely powerful dad could be something as small and...useless as a beaver. Now, Uncle Kisame as a shark, I could see, but dad as a beaver? How did she make the connection there? Regardless, he seemed to really like it.

"Because Beavers were respected as the greatest builders, and daddy is the greatest builder in the world!"

"But dad is not a builder. He works with ships."

She smiled brightly up at me, knowing dad was listening. "But daddy built this family with me and you and Haku and Juugo and Kimmy and Uncle Kisame. That's why I think he's the greatest builder ever!"

I'm happy, I got to be part of this building project.

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AU/ At the end the story kind of took over and wrote it's self out. I had wanted to write an ending leaning more towards Sui, but it looks like Daddy got the end of this chapter more so than I had planned. Once again, I had _tons_ of fun writing this, especially since Sakura's with my favorite characters. Once I got going, it was like a lead ball down a steep hill. I just couldn't stop.

And once again, I think I have to blame Lady Hanaka for inspiring me to write this much in one chapter and actually update it after so long. I'm a lazy bum that should get kicked and threatened into writing more than I have. *sniff* I don't deserve such attention, let alone such beautiful art!

Please _**REVIEW!  
**_

Vesper chan


	4. Zabuza

**_Broken Seashells_**

**Zabuza**

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"Another one?" Kisame asked with concern from the hallway.

I nodded grimily, not bothering to look up an explain the mess in detail. It was already giving me a huge headache. Grumbling to myself, I shut the lid of my laptop and pushed my chair away from the desk that was littered with stay maps and papers that needed my attention sooner than later.

"How many this time?"

"Thankfully, only one. Zanbatō and Shark Skin were able to outrun the pirates but Hawk wasn't so fortunate. Piracy has become increasingly common in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean this year, but I didn't think they would start attacking in the North Atlantic where we work."

"Well this sucks," Kisame grumbled. "Hawk was carrying around fifty million dollars worth of smuggled diamonds. I was planning on taking the kids out to California this weakened to visit Disney land but now I have to stay home and clean up this mess."

I felt myself perk up a bit at the mention of my kids. "You were planning on taking them to California?"

Kisame gave me a hesitant look before it downed on him what I meant. "I didn't mean that I would-!"

"_Without_ _me_?"

He looked scared. "It wouldn't be the first time I took the kids by myself! And it's only for the weakened. You'll survive...somehow."

"Kisame, do you have any idea how long it would take by plane to get to California? You'd spend the whole day flying there and then another day flying back. That's two days in the air. How long were you planning on keeping them from me?!"

Kisame looked like a guilty kid that was just caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Four, maybe five days...?"

Five days without Sakura's homehade cooking, five days without Haku and Suigetsu fighting over the TV remote, five days without Kimimaro coming home from Karate class to ask with help on a more advanced throw, five days without Juugo's carefully handwritten reminders on the fridge to eat healthy and stay away from Sakura's deserts. There was _no way_ that was happening.

"Kisame?"

The tall sea dog flinched at the soft tone. "Y-yeah?"

"Do you remember what they called me when you first entered the business?"

Kisame paled a bit and chuckled. "H-how could I forget? The Bloody Demon of the Mist isn't a name you forget after seeing him in action."

"Good. Once I clean up this mess we're planning a trip to Hawaii. If you're good you can tag along." I got up to get my empty coffee mug, hoping to refill it in the kitchen and then continue with the never ending workload.

Kisame followed me into the kitchen, keeping an eye out for any not so little ones who could be dropping in on our conversation. "Hawaii? You mean with Minato Namikaze? Isn't he the mayor over there or something?"

I nodded, watching my drink. Coffee and cream, stirred ever so slightly was the recipe to another six hours of nonstop work without complaint. "You're right. Recently his wife passed away and it's been hard on him, raising Naruto all by himself. He wanted to know if we could come over and spend New Year's with them."

"New Years in Hawaii? Are you kidding me? What are we going to do about all this work that's piling up?"

I stopped mid-step in the hallway to give him a stern glare. "Weren't you the one planning on hauling my kids off to the other side of the country for five days without me? When did work become so important to you?"

"Fine, fine. You win. New Years in Hawaii it is, though I'm not too found of having to share the kids with Minato and his little brat. He's lucky those bite marks healed so easily."

"You were the one showing off your teeth."

Ever eager to change the subject, Kisame moved onto another matter that was bothering the two of us. "You know Sakura, Haku and Suigetsu are all turning nine this coming year, Juugo is turning eleven and Kimimaro might as well be turning twenty eight, he's grown up so fast. I can't believe he's going to be twelve. Pretty soon you'll have a teenager in the house!"

"Hmm," I mumbled, pulling my chair up to the desk and turning on the MacPro. I moved the mouse around a bit and the black screen came to life. The Screensaver turned off to show off a desktop of all four of my kids, half buried in the sand with me behind them, smiling up at the camera that Kisame had used that day.

Kimimaro was on his knees building up a coffin to hold Suigetsu down while Juugo was busy carving mermaid bodies out for Sakura and Haku who were buried up to their waists. The two youngest looked like they were having fun, since Haku was laughing and Sakura was posing with one arm on her hip and the other way out in the air. Suigetsu had fallen asleep (the only reason why Kimimaro had been able to trap him) and was just waking up to find his family surrounding his mostly buried body. The photo captured his surprise right before it melted into rage.

It was a relatively old photo, taken a year or so after Sakura had been adopted, but it had take then us two men a while to pry it out of Kisame's digital camera and fit it onto the immensely huge screen. It was a sad truth to admit, but despite that, I know his children were growing up and out of their childhood. Pretty soon Kimimaro would be followed home by his already growing horde of fangirls and I don't didn't that soon my other sons will suffer the same fate. What worried me the most, was Sakura.

My boys could take care of themselves just fine, I have no doubt. Sakura was the one that still need help and guidance. She was the youngest, of course, and the most naive. Even when she was still living with her mother in that apartment, where only God knows _what_ went on, she still managed to retain her innocence. What would happen when boys started following her home and leaving her notes in their mailbox or at school? It was already happening to some of his boys. How long until Sakura too fell prey to the advances of fate?

Suigetsu had, of course, informed me about the bulling incident in school. I was especially distressed to learn why the young Zaku boy was tormenting my little girl. Of course I was distressed over anyone bullying my little girl, but this one student really shook me up. Of course I had some of my friends deal with the parents of the Kin girl and the Dosu boy, but they were unable to do much when it came to Zaku. So I, being the concerned parent that I am, went to the school board and requested they move the child to a different class. They wouldn't dare defy someone who donates about half of their fundings.

But, how long would it be before something like this happens again? How long until Sakura actually starts liking boys? That last though scared me a little. I could scare off boys that liked her just fine, but if she really liked someone and ends up dating and marring them....my precious little daughter will move away and start a new family without me!

With this motivation, I set to work cleaning up the mess Idate's ship had caused me.

-

"I don't care as long as we have fireworks," Haku answered me, stepping off the ship. "Why do you asky, daddy?"

I shrugged, keeping an eye on the luggage as it was carried down the plank for us. "I just wanted to make sure you are okay with this. I would really hate it if you guys were miserable. What do Kimimaro and Sakura think about this? They're the only two I haven't asked yet."

Haku frowned, looking over to where Kisame was helping Sakura off our ship. She was a pale shade of green and stumbling all over the place. Kisame looked like he was trying to glue back the pieces of a priceless doll, rather than guide his adoptive niece off the ship. I sighed at the sight and managed a weak grin. She was still pretty cute, after all. "I thought I told her not to have so many slushes when traveling. She knows it gets her sick."

"Uncle Kisame and here were having a contest. Uncle Kisame won," my son answered for me.

"No wonder he looks so guilty. serves him right, tricking her like that. We'll have to get something hot for her to drink once we get to Naruto's house. " Hearing the boy's name, Haku sighed and looked away. "What's wrong?"

"Last tim I saw Naruto he thought I was a girl! He needs his eyes looked at."

I chuckled, remembering the incident. "That was a long time ago, Haku. Sakura wasn't even with us yet. He'll see you manlier side once he gets to compare you to Sakura, I'm sure. You are her big, protective brother, aren't you?"

Haku blushed a little bit as he watched Sakura trip and fall into a pile of parked luggage. I was a bit embarrassing to his little sister stumble around like a drunk when he was the one who was suppose to be protecting her. "I guess so, but I'm not doing a very good job, am I?"

"That's not your fault, Haku. Kisame is the adult and should have known better. I'll have to have a word with him later." And he was being so good too. Maybe it was a mistake allowing him to tag along with the rest of us. Then again, it wouldn't be the same for the children if he wasn't there. That was the only reason he was here to begin with.

"Zabuza!" Hearing my name called, I turned to see a young, blue eyed man with spiked blond hair pointing every witch way, waving from the dock. A young boy that was without a doubt his son, waited at his side. Dispite what he's been through Minato Namikaze looked healthy enough.

I grinned faintly and waved back, leaving sakura and Kisame behind to approach the pair. "Hello there Mr. Mayor. How are you and little Naruto doing this time of year?" I bent down to look at Naruto in the eye. "I hope you two had a fun Christmas and got a lot of nice toys."

Naruto grinned brightly, surprising me. This was his first Christmas without his mother there for him. I though he would be a bit more quiet. "Yup! Santa brought me a brand new video game that I wanted for the Wii and uncle Kakashi brought over his old quad for me to train on! What did Santa bring you for Christmas?"

I grinned, showing off those pointed teeth he seemed to love so much. "I got a lot of nice things, but I don't play with toys so much anymore. I leave that to my kids."

I looked back over my shoulder at Haku who was standing with his three older brothers and pointed them out to Naruto. The blond little bundle of energy smiled once again and waved wildly. Suigetsu was the only one who waved back wildly. Haku looked halfhearted, Juugo looked shy, and Kimimaro appeared bored. "HEY GUYS! WANNA PLAY KATANA AT MY HOUSE?" Naruto shouted down to the kids who were waiting by the car.

"I DO! I DO!" Suigetsu yelled, jumping up and down. "I'LL SO KICK YOUR-"

"_Suigetsu_!" Kimimaro hissed, hitting his younger brother upside the head. "Watch your mouth. Sakura can still hear you."

I laughed along with Minato, following him into his car as Kisame ushered the rest of my children into the large van we were renting. They would follow behind us, seeing as how the small cherry red corvette that could barely fit us three couldn't transport all of us.

I offered to let Naruto ride with the rest of my kids, but he wanted to ride with his dad and beat Suigetsu home. I couldn't help but flinch at imagining the temper my most violet son would have once he was confronted with his loss in a race. Suigetsu hated loosing anything, but races were a touchy subject.

I turned around in my seat to face my old friend and former partner in crime. Minato straightened out after meeting his wife and distanced himself from the business. I respected him for this, even though I chose to not do so after finding my own loving wife who was still very much present in my heart, even after so many years. I waited a moment before speaking, knowing his answer wouldn't be one I wanted. "How are you holding up."

He smiled, grimly. "It's been a few months now. I'm learning to deal with it." I could tell from the distance tone in his voice that was a partial lie. "It's not...easy," he added. There was the truth I wanted.

"You're little ball of lightning will help you more than anything else, friend. I know that was how it was for me when my wife..left. Haku was my life and my light. Without him I don't know what I would have done."

The memory of cold metal against my templet, my finger on the trigger-flashed through my mind. So many times I thought it was better if I just died as well. I would be better if I just took my life and went wherever she was. I couldn't stand not being where she wasn't. My other half had died! What was I to do?

Haku's crying woke me up and brought me back to reality. There was someone who needed me! Someone she left behind for me to take care of. I couldn't wast everything she died for. Her-our little Haku. The thing I remember most about that time was the feeling of his tiny fingers wrapping around one of mine. That same finger had almost pulled the trigger and blown my brains to bits. Maybe that's why it felt so much like he was holding me back with all his strength.

"Here we are," Minato said, pulling up into his driveway.

"Alright! we won, dad! We beat them! You too, Mr. Zabuza, you won too," Naruto cried, jumping out of the car and jumping around. I caught the secret smile his father was trying to hide as he watched his son. I knew it was only a matter of time before those scars healed up until they were nothing more than a line of raised skin you can trace in remembrance.

Kisame's van pulled up and Suigetsu was the first one out. He called Naruto a cheater because it wasn't a real race and soon their argument had evolved into an agreement to settle it over video games. At the mention of video games Haku and Juugo followed, willingly.

I grew a little worried when I didn't see Sakura run after the boys like I thought she would. She was so excited to see Naruto, too. I turned to see Kisame carrying my daughter out of the van, her face still a pale shade of green. "What's wrong with Sakura? She's not still sick is she?" I asked, concern rising.

"She passed out in the car. She doesn't have a fever or anything, so she should be okay. Hey, Namikaze, could she use one of your spare rooms to lie down in for a few hours?" Kisame asked, cradling the skinny little child in his arms like a small doll that could break at any moment.

My friend grinned, laughing at the way I was glaring at fish face, most likely. I really was going to kill him if something turned out to be wrong with Sakura because of him. "Sure thing, Kisame. I have plenty of extra rooms she could use. help yourself to one."

The shark like man nodded, avoiding my glare as I followed him in. "Kisame this is your fault. If she doesn't get better in time for fireworks you'll be sorry," I grumbled, keeping an eye on her.

She twitched in her sleep and groaned in pain, hugging her stomach. My heart left in my chest, fearing the worst. I could feel Kisame beside me tremble in what I hoped was guilt. I knew he was sorry, but it was so much easier to deal with all this when I had someone to blame. My little girl was in pain, d*** it! How else was I to feel?

"I already feel sorry, okay! I promise I'll never do anything like that ever again!"

"You had better not. You know she gets sick easily."

Minato came up behind up, watching as Kisame set Sakura down in a bed that was close to a bathroom, just in case she needed to empty her stomach. "Will your little girl be alright, Zabuza? I have some medicine if she needs it."

"Thanks, but I don't want to wake her up. We should just let her sleep for now. She'll feel better when she wakes up. _Right Kisame_?"

He grinned nervously. "Right!"

After than Minato shared his Hawaiian tea with the two of us, explaining the chain of unfortunate events surrounding Naruto after his mother's death. Supposedly, a group of younger aged gangs had taken an interest to the small boy and Naruto had returned the interest. Right now it was nothing wore than a few shoplifting events, but the father was worried for his child who had more than enough money to buy a candy-bar.

"So what should I do?"

"Vacation. Get him away from those guys."

"Can't, my job won't allow it."

I frowned, knowing what he meant. "Politics are one big mess. I try and stay as far away from them as possible."

I was about to say more when a loud crash interrupted my train of thought. It sounded like it came from the room next door where Sakura was sleeping. The three of us were out in the hallway before any other human could blink, taking in the scene with mixed feelings.

"You can't have her! She's our sister!" Haku whined next to Suigetsu.

Naruto was inside the room Sakura had been sleeping in, hiding her tiny form behind a plastic light-saber. I noticed both my sons had one two. Theirs were blue and green while Naruto's was red. Sakura was awake, and she looked healthy, if not a bit dazed by all the action.

Good, she was feeling better.

"Sakura said she would play with me!" Naruto replied, holding up his plastic weapon.

"But Sakura is our sister, not yours!" That was Suigetsu.

"So? She's my friend!"

"You still can't marry her!"

I almost choked at when Haku had to say. What was that Naruto kid thinking about doing with my baby girl? i turned to Minato to ask for his help dealing with his son and was disturbed to see him grinning slyly. He looked like he was planning a diamond heist. "Minato Namikaze, stop it right now!"

"Oh come on, you wouldn't mind staying a few extra days, would you."

"Namikaze..."

"Hey Sakura, have you ever been to a Karaoke bar?"

"_Namikaze_!"

-

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AU/ Looks like someone has his eye on a could be daughter in law. Bwahaha. Poor papa, he worries over his little girl way too much. I can see it now, Naruto and Minato Namikaze Vs the whole family in an all out battle for Sakura's future. Heaven help them. Their next vacation will land them in Arizona, probably. I'll leave you all to guess who is waiting for them there. (Snicker, snicker)

I killed myself writing this out. My family took me out all day for my birthday yesterday, so I didn't have enough time to submit it. But if you want to blame someone/something, blame Blood+. I was watching all the episodes on youtube and have become quite addicted. Too many story ideas spilled out of those episodes. (Shy smile)

Please _**REVIEW!  
**_

Vesper chan


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